In 1948, LIFE magazine photographer W. Eugene Smith spent more than three weeks in Kremmling, Colorado, shadowing general practitioner Ernest Ceriani as he worked with patients on all manner of ailments. The resulting images — powerful and poignant — became an instant classic, and Smith was quickly anointed one of the masters of the photoessay. For the first time ever, thanks to Smith’s work, many viewers were given an intimate look at the emotional and physical challenges faced by rural physicians on a daily basis.

Recently, LIFE magazine made some of Smith’s previous unpublished photos available. Read the story here and get a peek into life as a rural physician in the 1940s here.